Hey guys, so it’s pretty well known that the Ivies are pretty holistic in their admissions. However, I was wondering if the adcoms are aware of the student’s income as they review the application. I’m on the low end for finances, which prevents me from taking up as many EC’s as I would like to. Should I specify something along these somewhere on my application (if so, where? <–additional info section, perhaps) or would that be unnecessary? Thanks in advance, hope you guys are having a good day!
Does Harvard truly consider every aspect of a student's application-including financial information?
There is a firewall between Harvard Admissions and Harvard’s Financial Aid Office. While the Admissions Office may notice you’ve checked the box for financial aid, because of that firewall, Admissions doesn’t see any information you’ve submitted from the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
That said, an Admissions Officer is going to assume certain things from a student’s zip code. For example, a student applying from 90013, who attends school in the same district, is not going to have the same opportunities as a student living and going to school in the zip code of 90210. So, the zip code of your high school and the zip code of your home will be noticed by Harvard Admissions. The same thing applies to the rest of the ivy league schools.
In addition, I would recommend that you NOT mention anything about your family’s financial situation, as those things often come across as sob-stories when a student mentions them. Let your guidance counselor and recommendation writers take the lead on this with their letters of recommendation. See: http://www.theprospect.net/how-to-avoid-writing-a-sob-story-college-essay-36689
One last item, here’s an important quote from William Fitzsimmons you might have missed: https://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/
Can you be more specific in how income has limited your extracurriculars? Does your school offer any for free?
I know a kid who got into an Ivy by writing about the limits in his school environment (theater, computer science, mainly) and how the limits forced him to be creative in order to overcome them. So it is possible to convey this but better to do it with a positive spin and show that you can “overcome obstacles.”
Thank you @gibby! Also @compmom I hold 2 jobs because I am one of the main contributors towards my household income, which limits the time I have for EC’s. My school is not one of the best EC-wise either, as we lack most of the fundamental clubs other schools posses. However, it’s located in the suburbs so it doesn’t have the “inner city” reputation
Fitzsimmons, director of admissions, talks about coming from a working class background himself, and many admissions folks are now writing and talking about honoring jobs versus traditional EC’s for those who are contributing to their families. (Will you work while at college? Will your family be okay with you away?) This includes year-round as well as summer jobs, in contrast to those who are paying to do some kind of impressive program or service over the summer months.
I think it is fine to write a matter of fact, very concise, paragraph or two in the supplementary essay (the one where they ask if there is anything else they need to know about you) along the lines of “I have worked two jobs throughout the year for the last three years, to help my family, which, along with few offerings at my school, made extracurriculars difficult for me.”
You could then add more info: " My job at the dry cleaners was 3-7 three days a week plus Saturday, and I learned a lot about the ordinary work world" and even add " and about the challenges my co-workers faced raising families on low wages" I think this is fine, it’s factual. You can add details on the job and something brief about what it taught you if you like but definitely don’t go on and on about it : )
I would NOT trust a guidance counselor to do this. One, it’s private information and two, a GC is not doing to write negatives about his or her own school.
With all of this said, it also helps to have some sort of interest that you want to pursue, even if it has been difficult. But working two jobs shows commitment, perseverance, discipline, generosity, and work ethic so it really can be a plus. I think a simple note in the supplementary essay will really help.
Your GC CAN mention that you work if you include it in the info you give him or her about yourself.
Remember, it is all about how you contribute to the mix of a class. Socioeconomic diversity is big with admissions these days. Don’t feel like you aren’t a fit or don’t have a chance because you work.
@gibby I disagree with your advice that the candidate not mention their financial circumstances, and that this information would be interpreted as a “sob story”. Quite the contrary. In the instructions to interviewers, it says that this is the sort of information that is invaluable to the admissions committee. The interview report form also has a new section in which you are asked to discuss any circumstances that may have affected the applicants performance, educational experience etc. And Fitzsimmons has said that applicants, their schools, and interviewers should mention factors that may affect their ability to engage in ECs.
From personal experience, I’d say that Harvard is very sensitive to this situation, in the same way as it appreciates that some applicants can afford tutors, SAT prep courses etc.
My advice is to mention anything germane. Admissions counselors have been known to call schools to discuss special circumstances.
Hey I know this is kinda late in relation to your thread, but I saw you where a junior so it’s probably stil pertinent to you. I disagree with @gibby as well, it’s not about sob story it’s about context. Why would you have a GC talk about personal issues like that? I know my has next to no idea about the financial situation at home.
In my “additional comments” section I talked about my school lacking activities that I wanted to try and how the high turn around rate for teachers made it hard to form connections and made things hectic. I also mentioned my family dymamic and my work and how it affected me psychologicaly. As long as you end it on a positive, how you learned and grew from it, then I say include it. Be very specific too. Personaly I used my supplemental essay to have fun and show my personality, nothing serious.
The additional comments are there for a reason. Good Luck in the future!
Unfortunately, in the past some students have told falsehoods, exaggerations, and alternate facts trying to gain an upper hand in the college admissions process. So Admissions Offices – not just at Harvard, but all colleges really – look for an adult in a supervisory capacity (teacher, principal, guidance counselor) to confirm the details of a student battling hardships and overcoming adversity. Here are examples of having a GC go to-bat for student and being their advocate by talking about these very personal issues.
http://blog.prepscholar.com/3-excellent-letter-of-recommendation-examples